Description:
|
Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is the commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of American children who are citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPRs).DMST was addressed legislatively by the United States Congress in 2000 with the passage of the Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA), which defines children under 18 years of age who have been "recruited, transported, harbored, provided, or obtained for the purpose of a commercial sex act as trafficking victims. It is important to note that force, fraud or coercion is not a requirement to prove child sex trafficking, and all foreign national and domestic children, which includes U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been used for commercial sex acts, are defined as victims of sex trafficking.The assessment process took place between October 2007 and January 2008, and was designed to identify the scope of DMST in the Independence/Kansas City area.In order to determine the scope of and responses to DMST in the target location, three factors were explored: Prevention, Prosecution, and Protection. |
